In anticipation of the European Union’s new legislation of mandating blind spot safety for all heavy-duty vehicles, Boise-based PRECO Electronics launched an enhanced version of its PreView Side Defender optimized specifically for aftermarket users. Side Defender’s advanced technology has been successful with OEMs since 2016, notes the company, and the updated solution provides a powerful and affordable option with ease of installation for retrofits.

Available globally, PreView Side Defender is designed, engineered and manufactured to protect heavy-duty equipment fleets, their operators, and those around them.

The Side Defender is able to detect moving cyclists and cars in the side blind zones, while filtering out stationary objects. The updated radar system is a self-contained solution equipped with a 150-degree viewing angle and a new display. The system actively warns operators with audible and visual alerts, in order for them to take the appropriate actions to mitigate collisions. Additionally, it has the ability to integrate with telematics applications, vehicle control systems, vision systems or other sensors using industry standard communications.

Industry standard CAN bus integration allows Side Defender to read the vehicle’s speed messages. Through this integration, the radar can operate intelligently in different detection modes: Highway, alerts operators of vehicles in the side blind zones while ignoring stationary objects such as guardrails to reduce nuisance alerts; and Slow-Speed, designed to reduce the incidence of collisions with pedestrians and cyclists in urban environments.

PRECO’s customers continue to see up to an 85 percent reduction in blind zone incidents after installing PreView radar systems. Keeping pace with the evolving needs of the industry, PRECO’s engineering team proudly continues their innovative advances in new safety technologies. By providing trucks, buses, construction equipment, and mining machines with side and rear radar systems, PRECO strives to mitigate risk, while eliminating accident-related injuries and fatalities through active blind spot monitoring. — PRECO Electronics, 866/977-7326; www.preco.com